The Orland Park Village Board has approved plans for its first hotel complex after the project’s developers moved the building site to resolve concerns about its proximity to a nearby subdivision.
Orbitz Group LLC of Chicago plans to begin building the 80-room hotel, 500-seat banquet facility and two restaurants next spring on 9.5 acres at 16235 S. La Grange Rd.
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Village officials and residents had been concerned the previous plan placed the hotel and conference center too close to homes in the Georgetown subdivision.
“I want to thank the board for postponing their vote to hear our voices. I appreciate it, and I am now excited about this project. I think it will be beautiful,” said Georgetown resident Joe Lamargo.
Trustee Bernie Murphy agreed.
“The feature of the property is the hotel. We have many restaurants in the village. The hotel should be the feature and now it is,” he said.
The hotel and banquet facility will be 165 feet from the east property line with employee parking behind the hotel. The east property line will have an ornamental fence with masonry piers behind the hotel and solid fencing behind the banquet hall, according to Community Development Director Bob Sullivan.
Mayor Dan McLaughlin said the hotel complex will be a good addition to the village.
“I think the project is nice with the hotel, banquet facility and restaurants being there. The whole area will do well with Marcus Cinema being just across the street and Lifetime Fitness next door,” McLaughlin said.
The Village Board also approved final plans for the new Orland Park Library on 4.9 acres at the southeast corner of 149th Street and Ravinia Avenue.
Village trustees had postponed voting on the new library out of concern over the material being planned for the exterior. Village officials wanted brick while library officials were considering a terra cotta-type material.
“The Library Board met . . . and we decided to clad the building in brick,” said board president Dan Muntner.
“Terra cotta was never unanimous among the Library Board members. With the decision we made to go with brick, we are all comfortable,” Muntner said.
Library Director Sharon Wsol said construction of the new facility will begin next spring and the library is to open in fall 2004.